Overview
What are voice problems?
Voice problems usually include pain or discomfort when you speak
or difficulty controlling the pitch, loudness, or quality of your voice.
As you exhale, air gently passes through your throat, across your
open vocal cords, and out your mouth and nose. When you speak, your vocal cords
close partially as air travels through them, causing vibrations and the unique
sound of your voice. Your voice is the result of remarkable and complex
interactions involving several body parts-especially the lungs, voice box
(larynx 
), and mouth. Damage to any of these body parts
can lead to a voice problem.
What causes voice problems?
While anyone can develop a voice problem, your risk is greatest
if your job puts a high demand on your vocal cords. For example, singers,
preachers, and teachers have high-risk jobs. Aging also strains the vocal
cords. If you scream or talk loudly, you increase your risk for voice problems.
If you have ever had surgery on or near your vocal cords, are a smoker, or have
had throat cancer, your risk for developing scar tissue and future voice
problems increases as well.
What are the symptoms?
Generally, symptoms that indicate you may have a voice problem
include:
- A low, raspy, or rough
voice.
- Hoarseness that continues for more than 2 or 3
weeks.
- Trouble swallowing or breathing, especially if you also have
ear pain.
- Coughing or choking when you
swallow.
- Frequent throat clearing or the sensation that you have a
lump in your throat.
How are voice problems diagnosed?
Your doctor can usually diagnose a voice problem using
information from a medical history and by performing a physical exam.
Additional tests may be given to evaluate vocal cord vibration or to detect
suspicious areas in your throat. Additional testing doesn't necessarily mean
you have a serious voice problem-it just helps your doctor pinpoint the cause
of your voice problem.
How are they treated?
For many voice problems, resting your vocal cords is all that is
needed, although this can be difficult for some people. If you have a more
serious or chronic voice problem, you may need medicines, surgery, voice
therapy, or a combination of these. Treatment frequently succeeds in restoring
the voice to normal. But it may take some time for your voice to return to
normal, depending on the severity and cause of your voice problem.
Is your voice change serious?
You might be one of those people who gets
laryngitis every time you get the common cold-this is
temporary and usually not serious. If your voice problem is accompanied by a
cold and goes away within 2 to 3 weeks after your cold or flu is gone, it's
probably nothing serious. If you feel concerned, you may wish to see your
doctor just to make sure.
But when unexplained changes in your voice continue for more
than 2 or 3 weeks or interfere with your ability to communicate, you may have a
more serious problem. For some people, the changes might get better but then
reappear. If you notice a change in your voice, it's worth making an
appointment with your doctor for further evaluation.
If your voice problems get better but then come back, it's worth
making an appointment with your doctor for further evaluation.
Latest Information About Voice Problems
The following online resources provide the latest information on
voice problems.
Voiceproblem.org offers current, extensive
information on various voice problems, written by a group of expert voice
surgeons from the United States. The site provides information on anatomy and
physiology of voice production, how voice problems are diagnosed and treated,
and ways to prevent them. The site includes a quiz regarding your voice
symptoms. Based on your answers, you will be given information about the types
of voice problems that fit your symptoms and whether you need to see a health
professional for diagnosis and treatment. (The quiz is not intended to diagnose
your voice problem.) You will also be given information on the types of health
professionals who treat voice problems and how to find a provider in your area.
You can find information at www.voiceproblem.org.
The voice problems covered at this site include:
- Laryngitis.
- Laryngeal atypia and
early cancer.
- Laryngeal advanced cancer.
- Reflux
laryngitis.
- Reinke's edema.
- Recurrent respiratory
papillomatosis spasmodic dysphonia.
- Spasmodic dysphonia.
- Vocal fold granuloma.
- Vocal fold
paresis/paralysis.
- Vocal fold scarring.
- Vocal fold
lesions.
- Voice dysfunction in neurological disorders.
-
Pediatric voice disorders.
Voice Academy was created to assist teachers
who use their speaking voices daily by providing self-paced instruction on
vocal health strategies. The site includes 10 virtual classrooms that explain
how to manage your voice and avoid voice problems. It is not designed to
diagnose voice problems. The site was created in cooperation with the National
Institute on Deafness and Other Communicable Disorders. You may obtain
information on the types of health professionals who treat voice problems and
how to find the name of a provider in your area. You can find information at
www.voiceacademy.org.
